| New Linux support for MS Exchange interoperability |
Dec. 03, 2001
Boston, MA -- (press release excerpt) -- Ximian, Inc. today announced Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, a software extension to its Ximian Evolution groupware suite that allows Linux and UNIX users to manage personal information and collaborate with co-workers using Microsoft Exchange 2000. With Ximian Connector installed, Ximian Evolution will function as a true MS Exchange client, enabling users to manage their email, personal and group calendars, address books and tasks lists using existing company Exchange 2000 servers. As a result, workgroups, departments and companies using Ximian software can cost-effectively provide the productivity, integration and support to their growing populations of lower-cost Linux desktops.
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange works in conjunction with Ximian Evolution, the premier personal and workgroup information management solution for Linux and UNIX-based systems. The open source Ximian Evolution 1.0 uniquely integrates email, calendar, contact and task list management in one powerful, fast and easy-to-use application. It supports a broad range of leading Linux distributions and UNIX variants, including Solaris, Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE, Debian, Yellow Dog, and Turbolinux. Ximian Evolution also provides extensive support for key data exchange and communications standards, such as IMAP, POP, SMTP, LDAP, iCalendar and more.
"In the past, the lack of interoperability among Linux desktop applications and corporate computing standards for messaging and office documents has been a key barrier to adoption in mixed environments," said David Patrick, president and CEO of Ximian. "With the introduction of Ximian Evolution and Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, we are helping to change all that. Ximian is advancing the open source desktop for both end users and developers while providing the interoperability corporate customers require."
Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange enables IT managers and system administrators to integrate and support Linux and UNIX desktops alongside Windows clients for Exchange email, group calendaring, contact and task management. Ximian Connector enables a host of capabilities Exchange users require, including the ability to define and manage email folders, propose meetings with and view free/busy time of other Exchange users, and access personal and global address lists. Just as important, the Ximian Connector lets Linux and UNIX users overcome the limitations of previous web browser-based Exchange-access methods. In addition to the drag-and-drop elegance and full range of features such as QuickSearch, vFolders, threaded email, and in line editing provided by Ximian Evolution, Ximian Connector users also get the benefit of disconnected, local data storage and synchronization with Palm handhelds.
For corporate users of Ximian software, the result is a much more cost-effective desktop productivity solution than was previously possible. A typical user scenario within corporate research and development departments, for example, finds employees who are forced to use two separate machines-one for running the Linux applications typically used for product development or system administration, and a second for retrieving email and performing other productivity functions with corporate systems. By installing the Ximian Desktop software that includes Ximian Evolution and the separate Ximian Connector for Microsoft Exchange, each employee needs only one machine, since Ximian Evolution will exchange email, contacts, and calendaring information with the corporate Microsoft Exchange 2000 server. Eliminating the cost of the second PC purchase and necessary software licenses alone may save companies over $2,000 per user.
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